Prefabricated modular abutment assembly for supporting concrete forms of varying heights

ABSTRACT

A prefabricated, reusable modular abutment assembly for supporting concrete wall forms comprising a base section and one or more upper sections which are stacked together in vertical arrangement to obtain bracing of the wall form to any desired height. The base section is in the configuration of an upright right triangle, the horizontal leg of which is secured by fasteners to the floor or ground support. The upper sections are also of right triangular configuration but are provided with both a projecting extension of the vertical leg, which connects with the corresponding vertical leg of the next lower section, and a bracing member which is secured to the juncture of the horizontal leg and the hypotenuse of the section and connects to a point on the hypotenuse of the next lower triangular section. Each of the modular sections are fabricated from angle iron elements and are provided with pre-formed bolt holes which are located so that, upon mounting of two or more sections in vertical stacking arrangement, the respective holes are aligned so that fastener bolts may be readily inserted therethrough. The resultant abutment assembly transmits the lateral, outward directed forces created by the hydrostatic pressure of the poured concrete downward into the lowermost base section which is firmly mounted to the supporting floor.

atent 1 States [76] Inventor: Herman H. Bondi, 1224 SE. Henry,

Portland, Oreg, 97202 22 Filed: June 29, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 268,184

[52] 11.8. CI. 249/33, 249/210 [51] llnt. Cl. E04g 11/08 [58] Field of Search 249/210, 20, 22, 27, 33, 249/34, 36, 112, 48, 192; 425/63, DIG. 126

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 713,173 11/1902 Taylor 249/22 X 1,599,035 9/1926 Baumberger 249/48 1,647,685 ll/l927 Cooper 249/20 2,177,043 10/1939 Moths 249/210 X 2,288,365 6/1942 Mothsm. 249/210 2,396,174 3/1946 Hawes.... 249/33 X 2,451,951 10/1948 Howat 249/33 2,518,847 8/1950 Youngman.... 249/33 X 3,451,108 6/1969 Andersson 42 5/63 Primary Examiner-J. Spencer Overholser Assistant Examiner.lohn S. Brown Attorney, Agent, or FirmDaniel P. Chernoff; Jacob E. Vilhauer, Jr.

[451 .luly9, 1974 57 ABSCT A prefabricated, reusable modular abutment assembly for supporting concrete wall forms comprising a base section and one or more upper sections which are stacked together in vertical arrangement to obtain bracing of the wall form to any desired height. The base section is in the configuration of an upright right triangle, the horizontal leg of which is secured by fasteners to the floor or ground support. The upper sections are also of right triangular configuration but are provided with both a projecting extension of the vertical leg, which connects with the corresponding vertical leg of the next lower section, and a bracing member which is secured to the juncture of the horizontal leg and the hypotenuse of the section and connects to a point on the hypotenuse of the next lower triangular section. Each of the modular sections are fabricated from angle iron elements and are provided with preformed bolt holes which are located so that, upon mounting of two or more sections in vertical stacking arrangement, the respective holes are aligned so that fastener bolts may be readily inserted therethrough. The resultant abutment assembly transmits the lateral, outward directed forces created by the hydrostatic pressure of the poured concrete downward into the lowermost base section which is firmly mounted to the supporting floor.

5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTED JUL J v I a ma 0 o PREFABRICATED MODULAR ABUTMENT ASSEMBLY FOR SUPPORTING CONCRETE FORMS OF VARYING HEIGHTS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a new and improved form of prefabricated abutment assembly for supporting con crete forms for walls, pillars and similar vertical structures. More specifically, the invention relates to a lateral bracing assembly of modular design comprised of a base section and one or more upper sections each of generally right triangular configuration and mounted,

as many as necessary, in vertical stacking relationship to provide lateral bracing support for concrete forms of various heights.

In concrete construction, various types of abutment or truss assemblies are known to the art for supporting vertical forms against the large hydrostatic pressures developed by freshly poured concrete while it hardens. However, wooden shoring and framing typically used in such construction are subject to several substantial disadvantages; for example, because of the low carrying capacity and low modulus of elasticity possessed by wooden members, a great number of them, closely spaced together, are necessary to provide the requisite bracing for the concrete forms. In addition, the wooden framework is custom designed for a single application and must be laboriously assembled piece by piece at the job site. The wooden members-forming the framework deteriorate rapidly due to the combined effects of environment and wear, and therefore have but limited reusability; Also, in order to decrease construction time, with attendant cost savings, it is highly desirable in concrete construction, especially those of multiple story structures such as high-rise apartments and office buildings, to be able to form the walls and pillars of each story in a single or minimum number of pourings. The wall forms must therefore be braced by a supporting framework of great lateral strength and rigidity if a vertical structure of any substantial elevation and thickness is to be formed in a single pouring.

Y Various types of reusable prefabricated bracing members of metal construction have been developed in the'a'rt in an effort to speed up the erection of the supporting framework for the concrete forms and to overcome other limitations of conventional wooden support members. Howat U.S. Pat. No. 2,451,951 and Leggett U.S. Pat. No. 2,313,880 each disclose the use of triangular-shaped steel abutments to support concrete wall forms; however, neither suggests any means by which the abutments may be mounted one atop the other so as to provide lateral support for concrete forms of dif ferent incremental heights. Both Hill U.S. Pat. No. 2,511,584 and Moths U.S. Pat. No. 2,177,043 offer a truss assembly having some degree of height adjustment, but they are of complex design and are limited to a relatively narrow range of height adjustment as they inherently would not provide sufficient lateral bracing strength over a wide range of wall heights.

Accordingly, a need exists in the construction industry for a prefabricated, reusable abutment assembly for supporting vertical concrete forms which is adaptable for use with a wide variety of differing wall and pillar heights and which would still provide sufficient lateral bracing support for structures of varying and substantial heights to be formed in a'single or minimum numher of pourings.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention is directed to an abutment assembly of modular form for supporting forms used in the construction of concrete walls, pillars and like vertical structures which is comprised of a plurality of reusable, prefabricated metal truss sections arranged in vertical stacking relationship so as to provide lateral bracing support for vertical structures of varying elevation. The bottommost section, the base section, is in the shape of an upright right triangle with its horizontal leg secured by fasteners to a floor support. The sections of the modular abutment assembly, which mount above the base section in stacking arrangement, as many as needed, to reach the desired height elevation, are also each in the form of a right triangle but modified with extension members for connecting to respective portions of the next lower section in the stacked assembly. Preformed positioned holes are provided in the modular sections so that the sections forming the abutment assembly can be readily bolted together, with addi' tional sections added as needed. The resultant abutment assembly serves as required to transmit the hydrostatic'forces of the poured concrete structure downwardly to the lowermost base member.

The modular abutment sections are formed of angle iron members welded and bolted together into triangular configuration.,The overlapping of the vertical leg portions of the respective sections and the provision of an additional bracing member connecting thesections together insure great structural rigidity for the resultant assembly. The sections are of uniform modular design so that they can be-fabricated inexpensively, stored in inventory and quickly assembled as needed at the job site to form the supporting framework for the concrete form. As the sections are designed to mount together in vertical stacking relationship, the modular abutment assembly is readily adaptable for use with forms of varying elevation through the use of the base section alone or together with one or more upper sections.

It is therefore a principal objective of the present invention to provide a new and improved abutment assembly of prefabricated, reusable modular sections for use in supporting vertical concrete forms.

It is a further objective of the present invention to provide an abutment assembly for supporting concrete wall and pillar forms which is both readily usable with a wide variety of form heights and yet provides the necessary lateral bracing support required in the formation of relatively high structures in a single or minimum number of pours.

It is a principal feature and advantage of the present invention to provide a new and improved abutment assembly for supporting concrete wall forms which is of inexpensive and modular manufacture, capable of 7 understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partially fragmented, of an exemplary embodiment of an abutment assembly, in accordance with the present invention, for providing lateral bracing support for concrete wall forms.

FIG. 2 is an end view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the Figures, there is shown a pair of the abutment assemblies of the present invention, designated generally as 10, arranged face to face and supporting respectively a pair of plywood forms 12 into which concrete 14 is poured to form part of a wall structure. A plurality of such abutment assemblies would typically be erected at spaced intervals along the length of the wall structure.

An abutment assembly 10, designed to provide lateral bracing support for vertical concrete forms such as 12, comprises a lowermost base section 20 and one or more, as many as needed, upper sections 30 mounted in vertical stacking relationship. The abutment assembly is formed of metal angle iron members which are welded and bolted together, or otherwise joined by suitable fastening means, as will hereinafter be described. The base section is in the configuration of an upright right triangle consisting of three members: horizontal leg 20a, vertical leg 20b, and hypotenuse 20c. The sides of the base member are fixedly secured together as by welding at two vertices 22a and 22b so that the section retains its triangular configuration. The horizontal leg 20a is preferably provided with spaced apertures 24 along its projecting flange portion 20a for securing the member to the floor support by bolts, studs or other removable fasteners.

Mounted above the base section 20 is an upper section 30, also of generally right triangular configuration, having horizontal leg 30a, vertical leg 30b and hypotenuse 30c. The upper section differs from the base section in that the vertical leg 30b has a downward exten sion 30d which is a continuation of the vertical leg, and also has a downwardly-angled bracing element 302 connecting the juncture of the horizontal leg 30a and hypotenuse 30c of the upper section to a point on the hypotenuse of the lower section. The angle iron elements forming the upper section 30 are connected, as by welds 32a,b,c, so that all but the juncture of the hypotenuse 30c with the vertical leg 30b are fixedly secured together.

In the connection of an upper section 30 to the lower base section 20, the projecting extension 30d of the vertical leg member of the upper section overlaps and is fastened to the upper portion of the vertical leg 20b of the base section. To this end a plurality of spaced apertures are provided respectively in the upper portion of the vertical leg 20b and in the extension d for receiving connecting bolts. Also, the upper end of the hypotenuse 20c of the base section is provided with a bolt aperture 25 so that, upon correct positioning of the upper section 30 above the base section 20 with its extension 30d sandwiched between the hypotenuse 20c and vertical leg 20b of the base section, the preformed apertures 25 in each of the respective members are aligned to receive connecting bolt fasteners.

The downward-angled bracing element 30e is similarly provided with a preformed aperture 35 which mates, when the two sections are properly aligned, with a corresponding positioned aperture on the hypotenuse 200 of the base section so that a connecting bolt can be fastened through this juncture of the two sections. In other embodiments of the invention it may be desirable, for reasons of strength or convenience, to attach the bracing element 302 to other positions or portions .of the base section 20.

In supporting a wall form for a concrete structure extending above the height of the abutment assembly formed of a base member joined to a single upper section, additional upper sections 30 may be stackingly mounted one above the other, as many as needed, and fastened to their immediate lower section in a manner similar to that previously described. In particular, the

downward extension of the upper section is fastened to I the vertical leg of the lower section utilizing the bolt apertures 25, and the downward-angled bracing element 30e is in turn secured to the mating point on the hypotenuse of the lower triangular section. In the foregoing manner the truss assembly can be built up to as great a height as is required by the elevation of the concrete structure to be formed, utilizing the modular triangular sections 30 to stack above the base section 20. Dismantling of the structure is equally as rapid, as fastening bolts at apertures 25 and 35 need only be removed to unlock the stacked sections from each other. The triangular configuration of the respective modular sections, and their interconnection along their common vertical legs together with the provision of the additional interconnecting bracing element 30e, provide a lateral truss assembly of great rigidity and strength as the outwardly directed hydrostatic forces created by the poured concrete are transmitted downward through the abutment assembly to the support surface.

The respective lateral flange portions 20b and 30b of the angle irons forming the vertical legs of the base and upper sections are provided with apertures at spaced intervals therealong for bolting the respective vertical legs to already hardened concrete, if desired, or nailing or otherwise securing fasteners to the forms 12. In order to accomodate these flange portions at the points of interconnection of the vertical legs, the respective flange portion 20b and 30b extend laterally in alternating directions as the sections progress up in the stack.

The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing abstract and specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. An abutment assembly in modular form for providing lateral bracing support for concrete forms, one of said modules comprising a base section of substantially right triangular configuration adapted to be installed in upright position with its vertical leg abutted against the form to be supported; another of said modules comprising an upper section of substantially right triangular configuration mounted in upright position above said base section, said upper section having an extension of its vertical leg projecting downward beyond the juncture of said leg and the horizontal leg of said section, and a bracing member connected proximate the junctions for removably joining said upper section to saidbase section by fasteners connecting said extension and said bracing member of said upper section to the vertical leg and hypotenuse, respectively, of said base sectron.

2. The abutment assembly of claim 1 wherein further positioned apertures are provided for removably joining one of said upper'sections to another of said upper sections by fasteners connecting said extension and said bracing member of the uppermost section to the vertical leg and hypotenuse, respectively, of the section immediately therebelow.

3. The abutment assembly of claim 1 further characterized in that the juncture of the vertical leg and the hypotenuse of said base section overlap and, in joining said upper section to said base section, said extension portion of said upper section is sandwiched between said vertical leg and hypotenuse of said base section at the point of their juncture, and respective apertures are provided on each of said vertical leg, hypotenuse and extension elements which are aligned so that said vertical leg and hypotenuse of said base section and said ex- 6 1 tension portion of said upper section can be fastened together by a single connecting bolt.

4. The abutment assembly of claim 1 wherein both of said modular sections are formed of angle iron members with the flange portions of those members forming the vertical legs of the respective base and upper sections being provided with spaced holes for enabling said members to be secured by fastening means to the vertical form to be supported by said abutment assembly.

5. An abutment assembly for providing lateral bracing support for concrete forms of various heights, said assembly comprising: a plurality of modular units of generally right triangular configuration adapted to be stacked in vertical arrangement, and means for removably fastening adjacent modular sections together with their respective vertical leg members collinear and with the horizontal leg of an upper section proximate the juncture of the hypotenuse and vertical leg of the next lower section, and a bracing member connecting a portion of said upper section proximate the juncture of the hypotenuse and horizontal leg of said upper section to a portion of said next lower section, said bracing member extending downwardly at an acute angle with said horizontal leg of said upper section. 

1. An abutment assembly in modular form for providing lateral bracing support for concrete forms, one of said modules comprising a base section of substantially right triangular configuration adapted to be installed in upright position with its vertical leg abutted against the form to be supported; another of said modules comprising an upper section of substantially right triangular configuration mounted in upright position above said base section, said upper section having an extension of its vertical leg projecting downward beyond the juncture of said leg and the horizontal leg of said section, and a bracing member connected proximate the juncture of said horizontal leg and the hypotenuse of said upper section and extending downward at an acute angle with said horizontal leg and contacting the underlying base section at a point on the hypotenuse thereof; and positioned apertures on said base and upper sections for removably joining said upper section to said baSe section by fasteners connecting said extension and said bracing member of said upper section to the vertical leg and hypotenuse, respectively, of said base section.
 2. The abutment assembly of claim 1 wherein further positioned apertures are provided for removably joining one of said upper sections to another of said upper sections by fasteners connecting said extension and said bracing member of the uppermost section to the vertical leg and hypotenuse, respectively, of the section immediately therebelow.
 3. The abutment assembly of claim 1 further characterized in that the juncture of the vertical leg and the hypotenuse of said base section overlap and, in joining said upper section to said base section, said extension portion of said upper section is sandwiched between said vertical leg and hypotenuse of said base section at the point of their juncture, and respective apertures are provided on each of said vertical leg, hypotenuse and extension elements which are aligned so that said vertical leg and hypotenuse of said base section and said extension portion of said upper section can be fastened together by a single connecting bolt.
 4. The abutment assembly of claim 1 wherein both of said modular sections are formed of angle iron members with the flange portions of those members forming the vertical legs of the respective base and upper sections being provided with spaced holes for enabling said members to be secured by fastening means to the vertical form to be supported by said abutment assembly.
 5. An abutment assembly for providing lateral bracing support for concrete forms of various heights, said assembly comprising: a plurality of modular units of generally right triangular configuration adapted to be stacked in vertical arrangement, and means for removably fastening adjacent modular sections together with their respective vertical leg members collinear and with the horizontal leg of an upper section proximate the juncture of the hypotenuse and vertical leg of the next lower section, and a bracing member connecting a portion of said upper section proximate the juncture of the hypotenuse and horizontal leg of said upper section to a portion of said next lower section, said bracing member extending downwardly at an acute angle with said horizontal leg of said upper section. 